The management of the 41st edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF, 20-29 November) announced that seven films from five continents will take part in the International Critics Week, an event dedicated to the first or second works of its directors.

The festival revealed the jury of the competition: Irish film critic Jessica Kiang, Egyptian director Nadine Khan, and Jordanian journalist and film critic Najeh Hassan.

The films taking part in the competition include the international premiere of Avant qu'il ne Soit Trop Tard (Before it's too late, Tunisia); Middle Eastern and North African premieres of One Man Dies A Million Times (USA / Russia), Summer of Changsha (China), Arest (Romania) and A Job and a Film (Romania).

In addition, the film Land of Ashes (Costa Rica / Chile / Argentina) will have its North African premiere, while Algerian film Abou Leila will have its Middle East premiere.

In the official press release, the film critic Osama Abdel Fattah, director of CIFF's International Critics Week, said the films' choice is motored by their spirit of experimentation. He added that the films tackle the concept of freedom being a choice and/or values of human survival.

"Although the Critics Week showcases only seven films, the festival was keen to achieve the desired diversity, whether in terms of quality, country of production, film schools or genres," Abdel Fattah clarified.

Films participating in the International Critics Week Competition are competing for two awards: the Fathi Farag Award for Best Artistic Contribution and the Shady Abdel Salam Award for Best Film.

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